


Helpless

by Lynse



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Ectober (Danny Phantom), Ectober 2018, Gen, Identity Reveal, Reveal, and not everyone in the Far Frozen thinks of Danny as the Great One, so Frostbite has an evil brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-01 17:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16288955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynse/pseuds/Lynse
Summary: Star hates feeling helpless, but without weapons, she can’t do anything in a ghost attack. Strangely, Danny Fenton doesn’t seem to feel the same way.





	1. Help

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ectober 2018 (Day 13: Help) and originally posted [here](https://ladylynse.tumblr.com/post/179025126326/for-ectober-2018-day-13-help-when-a-ghost). Post- _Urban Jungle_. Standard disclaimers apply.

Star didn’t deserve the detention she’d gotten. She wasn’t the one who’d planted the whoopee cushion on Lancer’s chair. She didn’t even know who’d done it. She’d just been the one unfortunate enough to still be snickering when Lancer stood up again to survey the class.

Protests about her innocence had fallen on deaf ears, and no one—not even Paulina—had backed her up.

Which is how she’d wound up in detention with Fenton, who’d dashed into class halfway through Lancer’s lecture on respect.

They were supposed to be writing an essay on the subject—something Lancer said he’d use for extra credit, which Fenton needed more than she did—except she was too angry and embarrassed to think straight, and Fenton was beginning to nod off. She’d been staring at a blank page for at least ten minutes, her pen shaking in her too-tight grip as she tried to figure out who had set her up to take this fall—and if she’d even been the intended target of Lancer’s wrath.

Fenton’s sharp gasp came about the same time as the crash down the hall. Lancer sighed and got to his feet. “I’ll look into it,” he said. “You two stay here.”

Even from across the room, Star could see Fenton’s wide eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mr. Lancer.”

“Mr. Fenton, I do appreciate your concern, but—”

“Can I at least go to the bathroom first?”

“No, Mr. Fenton, you may not. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and then you can go.”

“I don’t know if I can hold it.”

“And I don’t believe you wouldn’t have said something five minutes ago if that were truly the case. You may go when I come back,” Lancer repeated, cutting off Fenton’s protests.

The classroom door closed behind him. Star expected Fenton to slump in his seat, but instead he sprang to his feet and walked to the windows. He obviously didn’t find whatever he was looking for, because he spun on his heels and dashed to the door.

He seemed surprised when it didn’t open.

“What, you think Lancer trusts you after how many times you’ve cut class on the excuse that you had to go to the bathroom?” Star muttered under her breath.

Fenton heard her. “He wouldn’t have locked it,” he countered. “It’d be a safety hazard. And he’s never locked me in before.”

She was bored, which was the only reason she was having this conversation with him. “So? Things change.”

Fenton was shaking his head. “This is a ghost.”

A ghost. Of course. Maybe he was his parents’ son after all. “Just because this is Amity Park, doesn’t mean every inconvenience is ghost-related.”

“I wish,” mumbled Fenton. Then, louder, “I never heard the lock turn. Did you?”

Star rolled her eyes and got to her feet. “Then it’s stuck and you’re just too weak to open it.” Sure enough, the handle turned under her grip. She pulled, already turning to look back at Fenton and berate him for being such a weakling, but the door didn’t move. She frowned and pulled harder.

Nothing.

“What kind of ghost locks you in?” She couldn’t quite keep the panic out of her voice now. It was stupid. Being caught in a ghost attack wasn’t new. She was used to that. But she wasn’t usually _locked in_.

“Someone new.” 

The grimness in Fenton’s voice caught her off guard, but Star latched onto it. “You have some of your parents’ weapons, then?” 

Fenton shook his head. “Everything I have is in my locker.”

“That’s not going to do us any good!”

“Don’t panic yet. We’re on the ground floor. See if the windows open.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“Listen.”

Listen? What the heck was that supposed to mean? But arguing wouldn’t get them anywhere, and checking the windows wasn’t a completely stupid idea even if she had a feeling it was futile. If a ghost could lock a door on them, it could lock a window, too.

When Star reached the windows, however, she didn’t even need to try them to know they wouldn’t open. Even as she got closer to them, she could feel the cold. “They’re frosted over, Fenton,” she said. Ice grew on them even as she watched, thickening to the point that the intricate frost patterns became completely obscured. “The door’s probably frozen shut, too.”

“Good.”

“Good? How is that _good_?”

Fenton shot her an apologetic smile. “It means whoever it is probably isn’t after Lancer.”

“Wait—”

“Hide. It’ll want me, not you.”

“Where the heck am I supposed to hide? Under my desk? It’ll see me.”

“You might be small enough to squeeze into one of the cupboards in the back. Just move the books.”

She stared at him.

He didn’t seem to realize how ridiculous he sounded.

“Why would the ghost want you? Aren’t you the one who normally runs and hides whenever there’s a ghost attack?”

Fenton scowled. “I don’t always…. Look. You guys trusted me before, right? When Youngblood and Ember brainwashed all the adults? I helped you then and I can help you now. I can do this.”

She frowned. “How do you remember their names?”

“ _That’s_ what you’re—?” He broke off, and she blinked. Had she just seen his breath? Sure, it was getting colder in here by the minute, but it wasn’t _that_ cold, not yet. “Hide,” he hissed.

Normally, she’d love to hide, but normally, there was someone other than Danny Fenton who could help her get out of a situation like this. “I don’t—”

With a _crack_ , ice crystals burst from the ceiling, jutting down towards them like razor-sharp stalactites. Star screamed and dove under the nearest desk, not remotely convinced that would help. When she looked back, Danny was in a crouch, still in the open, head swivelling as if he fully expected he’d be able to see a ghost that could make itself invisible.

He’d already said he didn’t have any of his parents’ tech with him, so why play at being the hero now?

“You’re crazy,” Star hissed. “Just call your parents for help.”

“I don’t know if this is someone they can handle,” he said quietly. His matter-of-fact tone unnerved her. Why did he make it sound like he could take more than they could? They were professionals. He was…. He was Dash’s loser punching bag, and she could count the number of times she’d seen him fight ghosts on one hand.

Before she could figure out how to respond, the temperature in the room plummeted and she heard a deep voice say, “You’re weak when you wear that skin, halfa.”

She huddled, trying to make herself smaller and not breathe too loudly. The shadows in the top corner of the room by the door coalesced into a bluish white monster of fur and ice. There was no mistaking its fangs and claws, and ghost or not, Star was suddenly, horribly convinced that it could kill her in an instant if it wanted to.

Fenton’s eyes widened. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.

“You do not deserve the title my brother gave you,” the ghost continued. 

Star officially had no idea what was going on. Fenton swallowed, but his eyes narrowed and he stood up straight. As if he could face down a ghost! 

“You’re Frostbite’s brother,” he said slowly. It wasn’t a question. “So he got to be the leader of the Far Frozen and you got to skulk in the frozen wastelands until you found a portal? Sounds about right. Even Klemper wouldn’t waste his time befriending you.”

Star couldn’t remember who Klemper was, either, though the name sounded familiar. She wondered wildly why Fenton was on a first name basis with so many ghosts, even considering who his parents were; it wasn’t like ghosts would befriend the son of ghost hunters, right?

The snow ghost snarled. It raised a hand—paw?—and ice shot towards Fenton. He dodged with a grace he never showed in gym class, rolling out of the way and springing back to his feet. “You got brain freeze or something? You’re a little slow.”

 _Stop taunting it! You’re just going to make this worse!_ But she didn’t dare say anything now. If Fenton was somehow managing to hold his own, she couldn’t be the one to distract him. Not now. They just had to hold on until Phantom showed up. Or the Red Huntress. Or the Fentons, assuming Mr. Lancer was able to get off a call to them.

“You’re an abomination.” The ghost’s feet hit the floor, and ice shot out. Star shivered and tried to keep her teeth from chattering. Fenton didn’t seem nearly as affected by the cold, probably because he kept moving, but the ice had to make it more difficult to keep his footing. “You don’t deserve to know the secrets of our people.”

Fenton pulled a face. “Okay, I don’t like that nickname any better than the one Frostbite gave me, but you? I’m pretty sure you have no say in who learns what. Frostbite agreed to teach me. To _help_ me. As payment for what I did and as a gesture of friendship. So even if he’s the reason you’re acting like Frosty the Snow Monster, I’m kinda more inclined to side with him on this.”

“My name is Icebreaker!”

“Funny, you didn’t really start this conversation with a good one.” 

Icebreaker roared. Ice formed at his summons, sharpened spear points of shards, and he flew at Fenton in a rage.

Star flinched.

Fenton held his ground until the last second before diving sideways. He hit a patch of ice and skidded into a desk. She shrieked in spite of herself, and Icebreaker turned his gaze to her. 

Fear clawed at her insides, gripping so tightly she couldn’t find her breath.

“Foolish little human,” Icebreaker jeered, “caught up in a world you’re never meant to understand. You’ll have to die for that, just like the halfa.”

There was that name again. He meant Fenton, but what—?

“No!” Fenton shouted, and he was in between them so fast it looked like he’d flown. “If you’re mad at me, don’t involve her!”

Icebreaker bared his teeth, and Star felt the ice forming around her. She scrambled out of her hiding spot, clutching the desks to keep her footing. Fenton—Danny—couldn’t protect her. Not when he didn’t have any weapons. Why wasn’t Phantom here yet? He was _never_ this late.

Danny’s fists were clenched. “Leave her alone,” he growled.

Icebreaker just laughed and flew over his head. Star backed up, bumping into Danny. “We’re going to die,” she whispered. Even in Amity Park, even when it got bad, there had always been someone to protect them. The Fentons had their Fenton Ghost Shield, the Red Huntress could definitely hold her own in a fight, and Phantom…. Phantom stopped every ghost that dared to cross him.

But now none of them were here, and she couldn’t do anything.

“No, you won’t,” Danny murmured. “Just trust me.”

She looked at him. His eyes burned bright blue with a fierceness she didn’t associate with him. The tips of his hair were turning white with frost, and he was cold—colder than she was. Determination alone wouldn’t let him last much longer, even though she couldn’t see him shaking with the cold like she was. Whatever adrenaline rush he was on wouldn’t last forever, and with this cold, he’d crash sooner rather than later. “We need help,” she repeated.

He shoved her to the floor in answer as more ice shot where they’d been standing. “Trust me,” he repeated as he got off of her. “I _can_ help.” He put his hand on her back and pushed her again.

Instead of being held against the ice, she fell through the floor and landed on a stack of empty boxes (possibly stashed there by the Box Ghost). She was too shocked to be in pain. Her heart beat a wild tattoo in her chest as she gulped in warm air. “What…what just happened?”

This time, she didn’t get an answer.


	2. Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what happened, Star wants some explanations, and she’s not going to let Danny get away with brushing her off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober 2018, Day 15: Explain.

By the time Star managed to find her way out of the school’s basement (it would’ve been easier if she’d had a flashlight, but she’d lost her phone in the fall and couldn’t even use that), the ghost fight was over. The door had been busted clean off its hinges and the classroom was empty but for the melting ice.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, just staring at the mess, but eventually Lancer found her. “I’m glad you and Mr. Fenton are safe,” he said. “Please, consider your detention over. You’re free to go.”

She didn’t have the heart to tell him she had no idea where Danny was, but maybe he’d already sent Danny home. Maybe she was just…late. That could be why Danny wasn’t here, right? Not because the ghost had taken him somewhere.

She started walking to the Nasty Burger on autopilot, though she was aware enough to keep an eye out for any sign of ghosts—or of Danny. She still had no idea how she’d gone through the floor and ended up in the basement. It had been solid. _Solid_. And then…it hadn’t been.

But Danny hadn’t fallen with her.

And that didn’t make any sense.

If Phantom had come to save them, why not save _both_ of them? Or even just take the ice monster ghost away so they work on thawing a window or something so they could get out? She had no idea why Phantom would separate them. It just didn’t make sense, not when they were both vulnerable. Why leave Danny behind if he was the target? Wouldn’t it make more sense to get him away first?

Star reached for her cell phone, remembered it wasn’t in her pocket, and groaned. Lancer had begun cleaning up when she’d left. If her phone was in the classroom, he’d find it and give it to her tomorrow.

If it wasn’t…. Well, if it wasn’t, she’d have to explain how she’d ended up in the basement. And she couldn’t. But it had definitely sounded like Danny could, which is why she needed to find him. He…. He knew what had happened. He must. But _how_?

The Nasty Burger was busy as usual, but not so busy that she couldn’t tell at a glance that Danny and his friends hadn’t claimed their usual table—or any table, for that matter. Paulina was there with the other A-listers, and Star hunched and turned away, not wanting to be noticed or at least to able to pretend she hadn’t seen them if she was. She hadn’t stopped to fix her hair, and it was no doubt a mess, but that worked in her favour right now. It would make her more invisible to her friends, someone beneath their notice. And that’s…. That’s what she needed right now. She couldn’t talk to them, tell them what had happened, until she came to terms with it herself.

And until she got some explanations.

Star stood off to one side, half-hidden by the dwindling line. Once it disappeared entirely, she went up to Valerie, who was on cash. “I need to borrow your phone,” Star said.

Valerie frowned. “I just got on shift. I can’t—”

“I’ll be like five minutes. Please.”

Valerie glanced behind her, but her boss didn’t materialize, so she passed Star her phone. She didn’t have time for questions now, but Star knew from the look she received that Valerie expected answers later.

“Thanks,” Star murmured, already scrolling through Valerie’s contacts. She knew Valerie had dated Danny, and it hadn’t been a messy breakup, so surely—

 _There_. Star hit dial and held the phone to her ear as she left the restaurant and walked around back. He had to pick up. He had to be safe. He hadn’t lost his phone, and with the fight over—

_“Hey, Val. I thought you had a shift today. What’s up?”_

“Danny?” Star’s voice cracked. She couldn’t stop it. “I…. Can we talk?”

Silence.

She wasn’t even sure if he was breathing.

“Danny?” she ventured again, just to make sure he really was still on the line.

_“I’m…I’m still here.”_

“Can we meet up and talk?”

_“Now?”_

“No, next week,” she snapped, her nerves frayed. “Yes, now. And we’re both still supposed to be in detention, so don’t pretend you have something on.”

_“Why are you calling from Valerie’s phone?”_

“Because I lost mine and don’t have your stupid number anyway.” She took a few steadying breaths and then said, “Look, I’m sorry. I just…. I don’t know what happened back there, and it’s freaking me out. I just…. Please. I want to talk. Somewhere quiet.”

It was a few long seconds before he sighed and said, _“Okay. Football practice will be over by now. Meet me by the bleachers behind the school. I’ll see if I can find your phone.”_

He hung up before she could agree, let alone ask him how the heck he expected to find her phone.

She slipped back inside, passing Valerie her phone with a quiet thank you before running off. Another customer behind her ensured that Valerie’s questions would have to wait, and Star was back out the door before Paulina had time to realize that she was out of detention early.

Danny wasn’t anywhere to be seen when she got there, so Star sat down on the bleachers to wait for him. It occurred to her that he could easily just not show up and she wouldn’t be able to track him down if he stayed away from his usual haunts. He’d know better than to answer a call from Valerie’s phone now, and she didn’t know if anyone else would have his number. 

“I’m such an idiot,” she muttered, drawing her knees up to her chest so she could hug them. “I’m going to be waiting here half the evening, and tomorrow he’s—”

“Star?”

She straightened up and looked over. Danny’s voice sounded small, almost like he was afraid of her. It was so unlike how he’d been while facing down the ghost that she almost started to laugh. She might have, if he hadn’t been holding her phone out in front of him.

“Where’d you find it?” she demanded, snatching it out of his hands.

“I, uh, found it in the classroom? After the fight?” He was rubbing his neck and staring at his feet.

She frowned. “Then why not just tell me you had it all along?”

He froze. “Uh—”

She rolled her eyes. “Fenton, I’m not stupid, okay? Just tell me how you got it.”

“I went to look for it,” he mumbled.

Sure he did. Inside the school when the doors would be locked from the outside, so people couldn’t get in even if the people inside could get out.

She sighed. That wasn’t important right now. “Look, Danny, thanks for finding my phone, but that’s not really the pressing issue. Just…you can explain, can’t you? What happened?”

He met her gaze now, still looking like the spooked kid Dash routinely shoved into his locker. “There was a ghost fight.”

“I _know_ that. But…. What happened? Who _was_ that guy? How come he knew you? Why was he going after you?”

Danny laughed, but he sounded more nervous than she did. “Well, you heard him. Apparently he’s called Icebreaker.”

He didn’t continue. Star crossed her arms, not willing to let him get away with playing dumb when she knew he knew more than he was telling. “So who’s his brother? Frosty-something? Frostbite? I didn’t even know ghosts could _have_ brothers. Especially ghosts like _that_.”

He gave her a nervous smile. “You, uh, ever hear about yetis? I’m pretty sure they’re related. And the ghosts of those guys.”

“Yetis aren’t real, Fenton.”

“Yeah? Well, most people would say the same about ghosts.”

He had her there, but she was willing to concede such a small point. “But most people don’t know ghosts as well as we do. And most people here don’t know those guys as well as you apparently do.”

Danny held up both hands. “Hey, that was the first time I’d even _heard_ of Icebreaker, let alone met the guy.”

“Maybe, but you were his target. You told me that. And he didn’t seem to have much trouble tracking you down. Why would some ghost want to kill you if you’ve never met him?”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “My parents are ghost hunters. That’s, like, a natural target on my back.”

She glared at him. “But that’s not the reason here. You guys were talking about secrets. Teaching or training or something.”

Danny pulled a face at her. “Why ask me questions if you already know the answers?”

“Because I don’t know all the answers. And because you’re still trying to lie to me!”

“Technically, the only thing I lied about was finding your phone in the classroom. And that hardly counts.”

She narrowed her eyes and stepped into his personal space. She wasn’t big enough for it to be a good intimidation tactic, but Danny still backed up. “Then forget about the phone,” she growled, taking another step forward, “and forget about this Icebreaker guy. New question, Fenton. How’d I wind up in the school basement?”

Danny hit the chain link fence, but he actually looked relieved. “Phantom,” he said. “He showed up. Phased you down there and me through the wall, actually. I guess so Icebreaker wasn’t sure who to try to follow? Anyway, Phantom dealt with him pretty quickly.”

That…actually made sense. She hadn’t thought about it like that. If Danny really was Icebreaker’s main target, then having her out of sight might put her out of mind. And if he’d decided to get rid of both of them, since he’d seemed pretty set on it earlier, then dividing his targets might make him hesitate long enough for Phantom to get in a good hit.

“Did you see they took out the classroom door? I dunno who hit that, but I bet it hurt.”

Star stared at him, stunned at how easily the lie had left his lips when he’d been so bad at it earlier. But maybe that was it. He’d been _comically_ bad at it earlier. This time, he’d almost had her fooled.

He must’ve read her expression. “What?”

“How did you get back in if Phantom sent you outside?”

“Huh?”

“The doors. They lock.”

“Oh, that?” More nervous laughter. “This was earlier, when people were still going in and out. I was back in looking for your phone before everything was locked up.”

But he couldn’t have been. He shouldn’t have been able to get in either time. “Danny, Lancer would’ve pulled the alarm. Locked the doors so no one could just walk in and accidentally get caught in a ghost fight. Your parents installed it last month, remember? The only people it’ll let through are them, first responders, school staff, and the mayor.”

He opened his mouthed, hesitated half a beat too long, and then said, “Right. Tucker hacked that system a while ago. I’m, uh, one of the ones included on the clearance list.”

She’d been so ready to believe it, so ready to believe all of it. It had made so much sense. And now she had no idea what was truth and what was just a clever lie. “Right,” she echoed. He started to relax again, and she asked, “What’s a halfa?”

He paled. “It’s, ah, a nickname. The one Frostbite gave me.”

“Meaning?”

“That it’s a nickname?” He winced at her look. “Okay, okay, sorry. But, seriously, it’s just a nickname. I wouldn’t think about it too much.”

“Nicknames always mean something. Even if it starts with an inside joke and spreads so people who don’t know the origin use it, it always has to start somewhere. People don’t get nicknames for no reason.”

“Yeah, this would be one of those inside joke things. Trust me, it’ll take way too long to try to explain it.”

“I’ve got time. I don’t care if it’s a long story. Hearing how the son of ghost hunters spent enough time with a ghost that the ghost decided to give him a nickname should be an interesting tale.”

Danny sighed. “Star—”

“Please don’t lie to me, Danny.” She shoved a lock of hair behind her ear just to give her hands something to do, but it was hard not to fidget beyond that. “This…. This doesn’t all make sense. There has to be something you’re not telling me. And I think it might have to do with you being important enough to warrant whatever _that_ was.”

“Everyone in this town is important,” Danny said, deflecting things again, “because Phantom will try to save all of us.”

“But Icebreaker wasn’t after Phantom. He was after you!”

“I help Phantom sometimes, okay?” Danny mumbled, not looking at her. “Mom and Dad would flip if they realized, so I keep it a secret. Jazz gets enough flak defending him as it is.” He finally looked her in the eye, adding, “Frostbite and his tribe in the Far Frozen—they’re good ghosts. Like Phantom tries to be. Mom and Dad don’t understand that, but Phantom does, and he took me there so I could train with them to be a better ghost fighter. Hone some skills. I guess Icebreaker found out, hated the idea of a human learning stuff like that, and wanted revenge. But that’s why I could hold him off for as long as I did; this really isn’t the first time I’ve done this sort of thing.”

It made sense.

Star just didn’t know if she could believe him anymore.

She stepped back anyway, giving Danny some room to breathe. He hadn’t told her what _halfa_ meant. He’d outright admitted that he had lied about where he’d found her phone, and why lie about something like that? She wasn’t sure she believed his explanation about having security clearance, either, though she didn’t doubt that Tucker could give it to him. And he’d said Phantom had phased her through the floor, even though she’d never seen him. But what other explanation was there? 

_Trust me_ , he’d said. _I can help_ , he’d said.

If he’d just meant that he had more skills when it came to ghost hunting than she knew about, why not say that?

“Okay,” she said. “I’m sorry for freaking out over this. Thanks for meeting me. And finding my phone. I’m glad you’re okay.”

He smiled at her. “No problem. See you around, Star.”

She let him walk off. Cornering him and demanding explanations wouldn’t get her any farther than she’d already gotten. Letting him think she was just going to let this go? That might do it. 

She could be patient.

She could wait.

And then she could find out exactly how much of what he’d told her had been the truth.


	3. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The more Star looks, the more cracks and inconsistencies she sees in Danny’s story—not that that makes it much easier to fill in the blanks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober 2018, Day 19: Mistakes

Now that she was watching for it, Star could see of a lot of things that didn’t add up where Danny Fenton was concerned.

It had been almost a week, and she still bore the telltale scratches and bruises from the ghost fight and her fall through the floor—or, more accurately, her landing and subsequent journey in the dark. But Danny, who had been fighting and dodging and slipping and ramming into desks, looked fine.

He always looked fine.

Even though Dash had shoved him into his locker three times this week.

She didn’t cheer Dash on anymore, but she hadn’t said anything to try to stop it, either. After her detention and with her appearance being what it was, she was on thin ice with the A-listers until she was blemish-free again. She’d seen what had happened to Valerie; she didn’t want to go through that herself if she could avoid it.

And if she stuck out her neck for Fenton now, he’d know something was up.

If preserving the status quo and actually learning the truth meant enduring the scowls of Danny’s loser friends who probably knew more of the story than she did, then so be it. 

She kept a closer eye on him in the classes they shared together. Given how often he fell asleep in class, it was easy to believe he was up half the night helping Phantom fight ghosts. It was less easy to believe he managed that without his parents noticing anything, but she didn’t know Mr. and Mrs. Fenton very well, all things considered.

What she noted now, though, was the way Danny would abruptly sit up with a gasp before making up some excuse to leave class. Lancer knew it was only an excuse—he had to—but he usually let Danny go anyway. Eventually, if not immediately. Maybe in case it wasn’t just an excuse. Or because he knew Danny would run off anyway.

Shortly thereafter, there would be some signs of a ghost fight, and Phantom would be there.

Danny never was.

If Phantom was waking Danny up—if the shock of being touched by an invisible ghost was what had him gasping and inventing excuses—then what purpose did Danny play? Surely he wasn’t just the weapons supplier. If he were, he’d just need to keep a stockpile somewhere Phantom could get at it. She was pretty sure even the stuff that ghosts couldn’t phase through could still be phased out a locker. 

There were a few times Danny came back with a limp or cradling an arm, but he always tried to brush it off. The one time it had looked more serious to Star’s eye, Sam and Tucker had watched him like hawks, and Danny had managed to avoid Dash that day. He’d favoured his leg in gym, but after that? He hadn’t been skipping home, but he hadn’t been limping, either.

She knew people who didn’t bruise very easily, but she didn’t know anyone else who could shake off an injury that fast. His parents were scientists, but she wasn’t convinced he trusted them enough to take experimental drugs, and she doubted they’d actually experiment on their kids. But how could Phantom help heal him? Ectoplasm helped ghosts regenerate because they were made of the stuff. Besides, as far as she understood, ectoplasm had to be incredibly concentrated or in extremely high levels to have any noticeable effect on humans.

Star closed her locker, and Valerie was there, waiting for her, as she had been every day. This time, Paulina wasn’t around to head her off; she’d slipped into the washroom to reapply her lipstick, making it quite clear that even if Star didn’t come with her, she was expected to wait.

Which made her a sitting duck for Valerie.

“You can’t avoid me forever,” Valerie hissed. “I know associating with me doesn’t do you any social favours, but the least you can do is fill me in. You can’t just change the subject whenever we talk on the phone.”

Valerie knew there had been a ghost fight. The entire school knew it. Valerie also knew Star had been in detention that day, and—coupled with her appearance now and at the Nasty Burger—would’ve put two and two together. Star had seen her trying to talk to Danny before, but Valerie clearly hadn’t been satisfied with his answers, which was why she kept coming back to Star.

“It was a ghost attack. Like always.” Star shifted her bag, wondering how long she could stall before Valerie would have to run to the Nasty Burger to start her shift. Probably not long enough. “It was some new ghost, an ice one. I hadn’t seen him before.”

“What’d it look like?”

“Like he could use a haircut. And a makeover.” Star managed not to smile at Valerie’s frown, but she really would be suspicious if Star didn’t spill some of the obvious details. “He wasn’t human, just humanoid. Kinda like that talking wolf, except he spoke English.”

“How did he fight?”

“Like a ghost.” Star really wasn’t sure what Valerie was asking—or why, for that matter. “Just…ice attacks, flying, phasing, that sort of thing. He was good. Thought he might get us before Phantom showed up to take care of him.”

Valerie couldn’t hide her scowl. “Danny said Phantom phased you guys out of the room.”

“He saved us. Every exit was frozen over. He’s the only reason we aren’t popsicles. I know you don’t like him, Valerie, but cut him some slack. He’s at least trying to make up for all the bad things he’s done, and I’m pretty sure the good outweighs the bad.”

“Not yet it doesn’t,” Valerie muttered.

Star decided not to poke the bear. She knew Valerie’s opinion of Phantom wasn’t going to change easily. “I lost my phone in the fight. Danny found it, but he didn’t stick around, and after everything was over, I didn’t know where he was. That’s why I needed your phone. Happy?”

“Not really. I’m not convinced you’re telling me everything, and I’m definitely not convinced you can take care of yourself if you’re in another fight. You’re still my friend. I don’t want to see a ghost get you. Phantom’s not always going to be pretending to be the good guy.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Star said, “but if that’s the case, wait till he makes a mistake to set your sights on him, okay? He’s helping now.”

“If you took some lessons and learned how to defend yourself—”

“Valerie, these are _ghosts_. If one of them wanted to, they could fly into me and take over my body right now. No training is going to help that.”

“Actually, mental—”

“I don’t want to have this conversation again,” Star interrupted. “I appreciate your concern, I do, but I’ve got other things to think about right now.”

Valerie rolled her eyes. “What you’re going to wear to Paulina’s party tomorrow doesn’t count.”

Star hadn’t forgotten about that—Paulina was talking about it too much for that to be possible—but it was one of the farthest things from her mind.

Best not to let Valerie realize that, though.

She said nothing, letting Valerie assume she’d caught her out.

“Just…promise me you’ll at least _think_ about learning some self-defence? And maybe picking up one of the FentonWorks weapons? They had this laser lipstick thing at their last show—”

“Valerie, I’m more likely to forget I have something like a laser lipstick and accidentally fry half my face when I go to put it on than to actually use it well in a ghost fight. I mean, come on. I get that you’re interested in this stuff after what happened, but don’t pretend you’re an expert. You barely know more than I do when it comes to actual ghost hunting. It’s not like you’re carrying around a bag full of weapons right now, are you?”

Valerie winced. “Point taken,” she conceded at last, “but at least I’m educated.”

“Consider me warned,” Star said, “and we’ll work on _educated_ and _trained _later.” She flicked her eyes over Valerie’s shoulder. “Paulina’s done. I’ve gotta go.”__

__“Okay, Star. Just…be careful. Don’t trust everyone so much, okay? Especially Phantom.”_ _

__Especially Phantom? What about especially Danny? If his sleep patterns were anything to go by, he’d been doing this while dating her. And since Val’s hatred of Phantom wasn’t exactly a secret, even if she tried not to let it get the better of her, Star sincerely doubted Danny had told her anything._ _

__No wonder they hadn’t lasted._ _

__“I know what I’m doing,” Star murmured as she walked past, “but thanks anyway.”_ _

__She hated being rude to Valerie, but Paulina was waiting for her now, and there was only so much Star could get away with. Valerie would know that, even if she wouldn’t like it. It was…hard, maintaining even this much of a friendship with a former A-lister. They were supposed to cut all ties when someone was dropped from the group, but Star had been that person, and she’d hated it. The balancing act she did now, walking the line and sometimes straddling two rungs of the social ladder—that’s about as adventurous as she got. Protection had never lain in rebellion with Star; she’d found surviving a lot easier when she fit in. When she _blended_ in. When she wasn’t a target—from ghosts or other students._ _

__Now, she was beginning to realize just how much she might have missed because of that._ _

__Valerie didn’t have to hide her determination, her fierceness, her fire. She was a force to be reckoned with and everyone knew it, which had saved her from being a bottom feeder on the social food chain when she’d been dropped from the A-listers._ _

__Danny? He apparently had a double life. He worked with _Phantom_ , something that could win him instant social fame, but he didn’t take advantage of that. _ _

__She remembered how hard he and Tucker had tried to claw their way up, both before and after Manson had come to town. She remembered Danny’s horribly obvious crush on Paulina. Even after losing his pants while asking her out and otherwise making a huge fool of himself and becoming the laughing stock of the school, he could have saved everything. He could have used Phantom as leverage._ _

__He hadn’t._ _

__So why not?_ _

__He had never struck her as someone who thought long and hard about consequences of things like that. Manson? Sure. That girl was more aware than Foley or Fenton. She had some pull, even if the other two didn’t realize quite how much. But for Fenton to hold off on something that could give him what he wanted? For Foley to keep quiet about it when he had to know what was going on, when his association with Danny would win him favour if the truth about Danny and Phantom came out?_ _

__No._ _

__This wasn’t just keeping something from Danny’s parents._ _

__Especially not if they knew how his sister felt about Phantom and everything he was doing for this town._ _

__They might not know how much Danny associated with ghosts, and they wouldn’t like the idea of Danny fighting with a ghost against other ghosts, but they’d be thrilled that he was hunting ghosts at all. They’d be training him, too. He wouldn’t need to sneak around and get training from ghosts in wherever the heck this Far Frozen place was supposed to be. He could get good training from them, use the opportunity to plead Phantom’s case, and maybe use his previous work with Phantom as evidence to bolster his case that Phantom wasn’t the bad guy. It might be rough, but they could find out what he was up to and things would turn out more or less all right._ _

__So what _really_ had him spooked?_ _

__Paulina was talking about tomorrow night’s party again, chattering enough for the two of them as they made their way to the Nasty Burger. Star paid only as much attention as necessary; she was too busy planning her reason to leave. Danny was in detention again—he hadn’t turned in his last assignment, so Lancer was making him do it under his watch—and Star planned to catch up with him when he got out._ _

__His friends Sam and Tucker apparently had the same idea and had claimed their usual spot at the Nasty Burger._ _

__This time, she didn’t assume their frequent glances out the window meant they hoped Danny might arrive early._ _

__If he was involved in something, chances were very good that they were, too._ _

__But if Phantom was going to pick allies, why _them_? Even if he wanted the insider info on all the FentonWorks weapons that Danny could provide, Jazz was likely the better source for that. And she was definitely less clumsy than her brother if Phantom actually needed help in the field. Even if her coordination wasn’t great off the start, it wouldn’t take her long to improve. So why Danny over Jazz? Or why not just go to the Fentons for information and nothing else?_ _

__If Phantom just wanted a fighter, why not enlist one of the jocks? Because he didn’t think they could keep a secret? Or because they were an obvious choice? Danny certainly wasn’t. But maybe that was why. He wasn’t the smartest kid in school or a star football player. He still had things to lose, but maybe it wasn’t as steep a trade. To be honest, Star couldn’t remember how good Danny’s grades had been before all this, but they’d slipped. He never used to get into this much trouble. Maybe Phantom hadn’t wanted someone with more to lose to risk it—not just for their sake, but for his._ _

__Because Danny was less visible._ _

__And the reasons for his sliding grades and truant behaviour could be explained in other ways; they already were._ _

__He wasn’t just a convenient choice; he was a strategic one._ _

__Star made her excuses to Paulina ten minutes before Danny was due to get out of detention. She’d missed him two days ago—she still wasn’t sure how—and had had cheerleading practice on the weekend ahead of yesterday’s game. Danny could be surprisingly difficult to find; even with all the information she’d managed to wheedle out of Valerie while trying to avoid giving away too much about the ghost attack, it felt like sometimes he just dropped off the face of the earth._ _

__Not that she’d ever actually gone to his house._ _

__That would instantly kill her chances to stay an A-lister for sure, since word was bound to get around even if there were no visible witnesses. (The ghosts had to be gossips.) And she couldn’t afford that. She just wanted information right now, and tracking Danny down at his house without a good reason wasn’t the way to get that. She wasn’t willing to commit social suicide for this. Not yet._ _

__But try to get evidence of him working with Phantom? Sure. Except she still didn’t have anything concrete. She couldn’t even prove that it was Phantom contacting Danny during class._ _

__Eavesdrop whenever possible? Definitely. She just rarely got the opportunity, since Paulina made a point of avoiding losers whenever possible. When she did overhear something, most of it didn’t make sense, and she typically couldn’t tell when Danny and his friends were talking about some video game and when they weren’t._ _

__That’s why Star had decided to take another risk and straight up talk to Danny again. Not another demand for explanations—that still wouldn’t work—but a plea. She wanted an introduction. A meeting. She wanted to thank Phantom for saving her—and see what _he_ said about the situation. It was an angle she hadn’t had a chance to explore, and she needed whatever she could get._ _

__She was a block from the school when she heard the explosion, and as she rounded the corner, she saw the smoke._ _

__Another ghost attack._ _

__Which meant Danny would have been let out of detention early again, for his own safety._ _

__Star groaned and started to run, not sure if there was even a chance that she could catch up to him now. He was probably long gone. Anyone smart would be. They wouldn’t be running _towards_ a fight like she was!_ _

__Except that he said he did this on a regular basis. Just not out in the open where anyone—including his parents—could see him._ _

__As she reached the front lawn of the school, Star’s foot came down on a loose clump of dirt, a remnant from a previous explosion. She twisted, instinct from cheerleading practice not quite enough to prevent pain from stabbing up her leg. She rolled to a stop and hissed out a breath as she touched her ankle. This wasn’t enough to take her out, but it would slow her down._ _

__“Star, watch out!”_ _

__She turned at the call and could only stare at the stray missile rocketing towards her. She lurched forward—_ _

__\--and her entire body went cold._ _

__Weightless._ _

__The missile exploded, and dirt flew through her._ _

__It was just like before, except she wasn’t sinking into the ground beneath her feet. Instead of pushing her or letting her fall, Phantom had a death grip around her middle and was pulling her out of the blast zone. She knew he was flying—she could see the ground moving; they weren’t just hovering in one spot—but she couldn’t feel the wind._ _

__Heaviness and warmth smothered her as Phantom released her. Her legs buckled despite her best efforts. When she looked back at him, he had his hands on his knees and was panting. “Run,” was all he said when he noticed her gaze. As if she could run very easily after what she’d done. “I’ll lead him the other way.”_ _

__Him._ _

__Skulker._ _

__Someone he’d taken down hundreds of times by now. What was different this time? Sure, sometimes Skulker’s suit went through various upgrades, but—_ _

__“You don’t have a thermos,” she blurted as realization struck. No thermos, no way of catching the ghost._ _

__But wasn’t that what Danny was supposed to provide? Weapons? Support? _I help Phantom_ , he’d said, but where was he now? He _couldn’t_ just be used for information, not with how he’d moved. He’d been in more than the few ghost fights she’d seen; experience had been evident in his every move, every calculation._ _

__Phantom didn’t stop, didn’t even glance back, and she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her. He yelled a taunt at Skulker instead, trying to get the other ghost to chase him. Trying to draw Skulker’s attention away from her, the newcomer who might otherwise be used to bait Phantom into a trap. Just like Danny had done with Icebreaker._ _

__Star was on her feet, favouring one leg but still standing on two, when Skulker’s retort came: “Your pelt will be mine, whelp!”_ _

__Nothing she hadn’t heard before. Phantom’s response was equally predictable. She’d be more surprised that he knew her name than at what he said now if she didn’t know he worked with Danny._ _

__But then Skulker growled, “A halfa pelt _will_ be the prize of my collection,” following it all with another volley of missiles as he flew after Phantom, and Star’s breath caught in her throat._ _


	4. Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Star isn’t sure what to think, doesn’t know whether she’s even making the right connections—but if she’s not, what’s the alternative?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ectober 2018, Day 26: Sanity

Star staggered forward, trying to keep Phantom and Skulker in her sights—not an easy task when both of them could fly and she was stuck moving at a fast limp. Her only saving grace was the way Phantom was forced to weave and dodge and backtrack. If he’d had the freedom the fly straight, they’d be gone before she could blink. Tracking them across the football field wouldn’t be a problem, but once they got off the school grounds….

Star’s mind spun, trying to figure out what Skulker had meant. A halfa pelt?

First, ew. Second, gross. Third, _halfa_? Meaning Phantom was called halfa, too? Just like Danny?

Not likely a nickname, then, whatever Danny had told her. At least, not _just_ a nickname. If people were sharing nicknames, it was going to be one more common than that. And if Phantom was the one to take Danny to the Far Frozen, this Frostbite wouldn’t have called him something Phantom was already called.

Unless Danny was called it first?

But then why would other ghosts transfer its use to _Phantom_? That just didn’t make sense.

Maybe it was a title. Some elite group of ghost hunters, maybe? 

“That sounds ridiculous,” Star muttered to herself as she pushed forward. But if that was ridiculous, what was the truth?

By the time they reached the park, she was too far away to make out what Phantom and Skulker were saying, too far away to glean any more clues. 

She wasn’t too far away to miss Phantom blast Skulker with an ice ray all too similar to the ones Icebreaker had used. She wasn’t too far away to see Skulker drop, all the controls on his suit frozen. She was nearly there by the time Phantom had twisted off the robot’s head and pulled out the little blob inside, holding it up to his eye level with two fingers like he didn’t want to touch it. Star crouched in the bushes and tried to catch her breath, not sure her feeble attempt at hiding would do her any good but more than willing to try to be sneaky.

“Just for that,” Phantom was saying, “I’m going to drop you on Valerie’s doorstep.”

Skulker shrilled something in response, but Star was too busy running Phantom’s words over in her mind again to work out what he was saying. _Valerie_? Not the Valerie she knew, surely. Between Amity Park and Elmerton, there’d be more than one Valerie, and Phantom could easily be talking about a ghost. Icebreaker wasn’t going to be the only ghost she’d never met before.

And as much as her Valerie hated ghosts, she couldn’t do anything about them. She didn’t have weapons. Even if she managed to get her hands on some, she didn’t have time to do anything with them. Star would swear she was even busier than she’d been while part of the A-listers, and then she’d been out with them nearly every night. Phantom _had_ to be talking about a different Valerie. 

“—throw you in the dumpster behind the Nasty Burger with the rest of the trash and let her find you there,” Phantom was saying. He’d adjusted his grip on Skulker’s tiny form, grasping him firmly around the middle. “You’ll still be in the range of her sensors by the time she’s off work at the rate you’re going to be moving.”

…There _might_ be another Valerie at the Nasty Burger. Right?

Phantom took to the air while Skulker was still squeaking out indignant responses. She’d never catch him now, but at least she knew where he was going. 

There was no sign of Phantom when she got there, but she hadn’t really expected there to be. By the time Star managed to drag herself through the doors of the Nasty Burger again, Paulina and the other A-listers had departed. Their spot, and every other one, had filled up in the meantime. Star groaned and walked up to the counter to order a small chocolate milkshake from Valerie, who raised an eyebrow—no doubt at both Star’s bedraggled appearance and her self-indulgent order—but was kind enough not to comment.

Drink in hand, Star swallowed and headed over to the table Danny Fenton now sat at with his friends. If he’d been helping Phantom, he didn’t look it. She felt sweaty and exhausted, and he looked exactly the same as he always did.

It was a little annoying, to be honest. How could he pull that off? How the heck was he gaining field experience helping Phantom if she could never see any signs that he’d actually been fighting?

“Hey,” she said when she arrived at the edge of their table. Their conversation had cut off the moment they’d noticed her approach. Sam was glaring at her (no surprise there), Tucker had arranged his features into something he probably thought looked suave, and Danny was smiling sheepishly. “Mind if I join? Everywhere else is full.”

Tucker waggled his eyebrows at her. “Well—”

“Yeah, sorry, you can’t,” Sam interrupted, not sounding sorry in the slightest. “We’re in the middle of something. Why don’t you go over to Paulina’s place? You probably have some party planning to do.”

Star gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t invite them to the party without Paulina’s permission, so it’s not like she could offer anything to Sam. 

Danny was the one who saved her, dropping his backpack to the floor and scooting over so she could slide in next to him. “It’s okay. You can sit for a while.”

“No, it’s not,” Sam ground out. “We were discussing our project, _remember_?”

Project. Sure. Star was in all the classes the three of them had together. There _were_ no group projects in those at the moment. She plastered a smile on her face and pretended to buy Sam’s excuse. She needed to talk to Danny, anyway. “Thanks,” she said, sitting next to him and tactfully ignoring Sam’s scowl. She took a careful sip of her drink and then asked Danny in a quiet voice, “They know, right?”

It wasn’t quiet enough, but then again, she hadn’t intended for it to be.

“You _told_ her?” Sam burst out. Tucker looked equally shocked, the fry dropping from his fingers on its way to his mouth. “What were you thinking?”

Danny winced. “Um, maybe we should, uh, talk outside?”

Then again, maybe he hadn’t told them _everything_. Or maybe he just didn’t want them accidentally exposing whichever parts of what he had told her for the fabrications they surely were.

Danny took her hand and pulled her around back. Star wrinkled her nose at the smell of the dumpster—the greasy smell of fried food pumped out the back of the restaurant was _not_ enough to overpower it—but all she could see around it right now were flies. If Phantom really had dropped Skulker here, he was long gone. That actually made Star feel a little better, because it meant the Valerie that Phantom had been referring to couldn’t be the Valerie she knew, since she was tied up out front.

“Sorry,” she murmured. She made a point of breathing through her mouth; it didn’t seem _quite_ as bad that way. “I didn’t think you’d keep secrets from them.”

“It’s not that.” Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s…. There are a lot of people in there, Star. Anyone could be listening.”

She raised her eyebrows. “They’d be less likely to overhear you somewhere crowded like that.”

“Maybe, but it’s better not to risk it. You should probably just not ask me about this again.”

Despite still holding her drink, she crossed her arms. “So you want me to drop this and pretend I never found out you work with Phantom? You’d rather I pretend to be some dumb, simpering blonde who can’t remember anything?”

“Uh, no, but that’s not the point.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “That’s not the point. It’s not even my point. I want to talk to Phantom.”

Danny stared at her.

“You can arrange that, can’t you?”

“Um…you don’t just want to invite him to Paulina’s party, do you?”

Star rolled her eyes. “Please, Paulina’s already done that.”

“Wait, really? When?”

“It’s a standing invitation, Fenton. She doesn’t need to extend it every time. The ghost boy knows that.”

“Uh. Right. I’m sure he does.”

“So can you do it?”

“Do what?” Star just looked at him, and Danny relented. “I can’t make any promises, Star. Phantom only comes when he’s needed.”

“Well, I need to talk to him.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Maybe not, but don’t deny how much influence you have over this. You think I still don’t get it? You’re a halfa. So’s he. It’s not that hard to add up.”

The blood abruptly drained from Danny’s face, and he blindly reached out to grab the dumpster for support. “You…you really do know?” he whispered.

That…was an odd reaction if _halfa_ was indeed a name given to anyone—or at least anyone of a certain rank—in a particular organization. Star mentally crossed that hypothesis off her list. But if that wasn’t the connection, what was? Danny’s reaction definitely confirmed that they _were_ both halfas, whatever a halfa was, so she hadn’t been hearing things, and he wouldn’t be panicking so much if it really was just a nickname.

Sam and Tucker definitely knew, but they were obviously all protective of the secret, so it was unlikely anyone else did. Ghosts aside, apparently, but she was _not_ about to try to capture a ghost to question it. Even if she got some weapons and asked for some training from someone (probably Danny’s parents) on the excuse of being able to defend herself, it would take too long for her to gain the skill she needed, and the risk wasn’t worth it. 

The best way to get information right now would be to pretend she already knew the answer.

“Yeah,” she said shortly.

“Everything?” he squeaked.

She just gave him a look that said she wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer. Mostly because she couldn’t. If he asked for details, he’d figure out that she was only clutching at straws.

“Star, you…. You can’t tell anyone. You know that, right?”

“You’d be better off if I did.”

_That_ had him looking terrified, and she wondered just how big this was. He straightened up and took a step towards her. “No, I really, _really_ wouldn’t be. You know what my parents do, Star. Just think about it for a second.”

What his parents did? They were ghost hunters. Inventors. Scientists. Crazy, if they hadn’t been right about the whole ghost thing. 

But if it wasn’t just hunting ghosts, what else was he involved in? What was he involved in that his parents definitely didn’t approve of? It probably wasn’t just associating with ghosts. She was pretty sure she remembered hearing something about his sister writing about ghost envy, and while she wasn’t entirely sure what that was, it probably involved Jazz talking to ghosts at some point. And Danny was definitely in the majority when it came to supporting Phantom, even if his parents came down on the other side.

This Far Frozen place must be in the Ghost Zone. Maybe that’s what this was about? The fact that he’d travelled there? Probably repeatedly, seeing as he’d gotten training? Maybe _halfa_ was a term for people—or ghosts—who frequented both realms? Phantom was certainly in the human world often enough to warrant the name if that were the case.

Except…. Except that didn’t mesh with what she knew about Skulker as a ghost. The guy—blob, whatever—called himself the Ghost Zone’s Greatest Hunter. If a halfa pelt—that was _still_ gross—was supposed to be the prize of his collection, it wouldn’t be common. It’d be rare, a hard-won trophy. 

So if Phantom had decided to work with Fenton because he was convenient, strategic, an average guy who could blend in and get away with things and not have people realizing what he was really up to— How was he unique enough to be called a _halfa_?

Half a _what_?

“I’m serious. If this gets out, it’s _bad_.”

She played for time, deliberately sucking up mouthful after mouthful of her shake. He was definitely waiting for her to say something now. Finally, she decided to go with, “I think you’re overthinking things.” It wasn’t a bad guess. He was clearly panicking. She just had no idea why.

“I’m really not.” He sighed. Looked anywhere but her—the overflowing dumpster, the graffiti on the fence, the fume-belching vents, the broken bits of asphalt beneath his feet. Mumbled, “Even if ignoring everything else, my parents…. They might not see me as their son.”

“ _What_?” The question was out of her mouth before she could bite it back. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Why wouldn’t they see him as their son? Did he think they might disown him? Just because of what he was doing? They were obsessed with ghosts and dead set in their ways against them, but that was more than a little extreme. They weren’t going to suddenly decide he didn’t belong in their family because of what he did, right? Because of what he’d chosen to be? Because of whom he fought alongside? They wouldn’t.

Right?

Star swallowed.

She only knew the Fentons by reputation. They were crazy. It was downright dangerous to be anywhere in the vicinity of the Fentons’ RV when it was in motion; the sidewalks were definitely not safe. If they were pursuing a ghost, they _would_ cut corners. They’d probably drive through a building if they thought they had to. They were obsessed, determined to catch and dissect ghosts to figure out what made them tick, what brought them back, how they could survive. They were brilliant, inventing all sorts of things that shouldn’t work but did. They were over-protective—if one of their kids went missing, or if they _thought_ one of their kids went missing, the entire town knew about it—and pretty much blamed anything bad on ghosts. But as much as they hated ghosts, they loved their family. That’s the impression she’d always gotten. 

But the truth was, she didn’t know what would take priority if they had to choose between the life they’d built as ghost hunters and a son who wanted to defy all that.

Maybe they actually would disown him.

Maybe they wouldn’t think him a true Fenton if he kept this up. Jazz at least wasn’t actively helping ghosts, for all that she’d defend them. Had Danny known that that was the line and stepped across it anyway? Did he seriously think he’d lose his family, lose everything, if they found out what he was doing?

Would they really kick him out and leave him to fend for himself?

Star didn’t realize she’d dropped her shake until Danny’s hand snaked out and caught it. She blinked, surprise at his quick reflexes briefly chasing away her unease, but when Danny met her eyes, she could see much this was wearing on him, how much he was truly worried, and it made her stomach twist.

“See, now you’re thinking about it,” Danny said, no doubt reading her sickened expression. “And, honestly, it would probably be worse than that. You’ve heard my dad. He wants to—” Danny’s voice cracked, and he finished in a whisper, “—tear ghosts apart, molecule by molecule.”

Wait.

What?

“They don’t think ghosts feel pain,” he murmured. She just stared at him. What he was saying was so far from what she’d been thinking that it was hard to follow. “They’d just assume everything—screaming, writhing, begging, _breathing_ —was a trick. Because they think ghosts are master manipulators who have no true emotions, who are consumed by whatever their obsession is, and….”

Wait.

Breathing?

She might not know much about ghosts, but they were _ghosts_. They were _dead_. They wouldn’t need to breathe. They might _think_ they did, but they wouldn’t.

“I…. I can’t risk that.”

Okay, she was definitely past the point that she could fake this now. “But you’re not a ghost,” she said bluntly. If he thought he was, he had bigger problems than trying to keep his association with Phantom a secret from his parents. Seriously. His sister was basically a walking psychology textbook; even she knew that. How the heck could Jazz have missed something like this? She was the smartest kid in school. She _had_ to know what he was thinking, but if she did, why not try to help him? Or get him some _real_ help? 

Danny barked out something that might’ve been a laugh, if she was feeling generous, but at this point she wasn’t. He was seriously starting to sound crazy. If he was pulling her leg, he was _good_ at it. “You think they’d make a distinction between a halfa and a ghost?”

“Uh, yeah?” They obviously weren’t the same thing. Not if he was one of them, even if Phantom was, too. She didn’t really understand why he was asking. Just because some halfas could be ghosts, didn’t mean all of them were, right? It was like rectangles and squares.

“God, for my sake I hope you’re right.” He finally offered her her milkshake back, and she took it warily. She had a feeling that signalled the end of the conversation, but she had even less clue about what was going on than before, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. “But you get it now, right? Why you can’t tell anyone? I can’t risk them finding out.”

Well, she sort of understood why Danny wanted to keep it a secret, but she wasn’t convinced she should be helping him buy into whatever delusion he had. “I can definitely see where you’re coming from,” she said, hoping he’d be satisfied with that.

He wasn’t. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

He was taking this way too far. Star busied herself with drinking the last of her shake, tilting it at just the right angle—

—and cursed as chocolate dribbled on her shirt from the lid which was apparently no longer on tight. “This is not my day,” she muttered, tossing the rest of the drink into the dumpster so she could better examine the damage. It didn’t look good. It was already soaking in, and chocolate took _forever_ to get out of white, especially when you couldn’t get at it right away. 

“Here, let me,” Danny said, reaching for her arm. “I might as well now. I kinda owe you anyway.”

Her entire body went cold when he touched her, just for an instant.

When he pulled back, the splotches of chocolate milkshake that had marred her white shirt were gone, instead smeared on the pavement at her feet.

Star screamed.


	5. Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _How come it seems like the more she finds out, the less she knows?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween, everyone! This fic concludes with Day 31: Breathe.

Danny’s hand clamped over her mouth.

Star did the natural thing: she twisted in his grip, and when she couldn’t break free, she bit him.

Hard.

He yelped, loosening his grip enough that she was able to get away. “Why did you _bite_ me?”

She watched him shake out his hand, wondering how much he’d even felt that. She hadn’t managed to draw blood. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Because you _grabbed_ me.”

“Because you screamed!”

A door banged open, and Danny lunged for her. She didn’t manage to pull away before he had a firm grip on her wrist. Someone—Valerie’s boss, maybe?—looked right at them.

And then past them.

And then he went back inside.

Screams were fairly common in Amity Park; even the locals still got spooked on occasion, and anyone would scream if the Fenton RV was barrelling towards them. It was good practice to see how close the latest ghost fight was to your backyard, too, to see if you needed to head for cover or if the ghost was harmless enough that you could toss a box at it and be done with it. 

Star was used to that. Everyone was used to that. 

She was not used to being looked through as if she wasn’t even there.

Danny dropped her hand. “No more screaming, okay?”

Star swallowed. She doubted it was supposed to sound like a threat, especially coming from Fenton, but…. “No more screaming,” she whispered.

“Right. Okay. We probably shouldn’t stay here. Let’s walk.”

She wasn’t about to argue—she didn’t want to stay here, and even if she wasn’t keen on being alone with him, running wouldn’t get her anywhere—but maybe…. “What…what about Sam and Tucker?”

“They’re used to me having to ditch them. I’ll fill them in later. They’re going to kill me for this anyway.” He caught her expression. “That was a joke.”

Phantom hadn’t popped up behind her and yelled _surprise!_ , so she had a sinking feeling that that was the _only_ joke.

Danny didn’t try to talk to her for a while. Frankly, Star was happy to trudge after him in a daze. What he’d done….

She couldn’t have imagined it. She _didn’t_ imagine it. That had been intangibility. And invisibility. She couldn’t see how it could be a trick. The timing was too perfect. This was _Danny’s_ doing, except that was impossible, because he was human, not a ghost, and—!

“Just breathe, Star,” he murmured, slowing down so that he was in step with her again. 

Easy for him to say.

There wasn’t any way to sugar coat what had happened. She wasn’t mixing up intangibility and invisibility with anything else. He’d actually—!

Danny reached out to tug her into the park, and she flinched away. He looked hurt but didn’t try to touch her again. That made her breathe a little easier, and she followed him. When he left the path and headed for the bushes, she didn’t object. She knew where he was going now. Besides, if he’d wanted to silence her, he could have done that by now. He just wanted to talk somewhere private. She could handle that.

Probably.

“Look,” Danny said when they finally stopped in the recently-made clearing she’d hidden by not half an hour ago. “I thought you said you’d figured it out.” 

She could still smell the freshly scarred earth. The remains of Skulker’s suit were on the far side, thawed now but covered in leaves and snapped branches from the fall it had taken. She knew it was just an empty shell, but it felt like a skeleton now. If Danny hadn’t known she’d witnessed the fight, why bring her here specifically? Didn’t he think someone—Skulker himself, maybe, or Technus, or a ghost with a similar affinity—would come back to clean up?

Is that why they were here, so he could catch whoever tried? Prove that this was exactly how he had been helping Phantom all along? And why she’d never seen him do it?

She wouldn’t have thought he’d dare come back when the first ones to show up could very well be his parents.

She still hadn’t answered his question, so she took a steadying breath. “I lied.” It felt strange to admit that so plainly. “People do that. You included.”

He stared at her. “But…but me being a halfa. And Phantom. You said—”

“Obviously, I added it up to the wrong conclusion!” snapped Star. She regretted the words instantly, but she didn’t think she could show weakness right now, so she squared her shoulders and stared him down instead, trying to appear more brave than she felt.

“Right,” he said in a small voice. “So what were you actually thinking?”

“Not whatever this is!” She crossed her arms, hoping he wouldn’t realize that she’d started shaking. She couldn’t seem to stop. “I just…. So it’s definitely not a title?”

Danny blinked. “You thought it was a _title_?”

“Like….like _teacher_ , or _mayor_ , or…or _captain_. I don’t know. Nothing made sense. I thought you’d tell me if you thought I already knew.”

Danny snorted. “I walked into that one.” He took a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t freak out.”

“Don’t think I can do that.” Was her voice higher than normal? She couldn’t tell. Maybe. It was definitely hard to keep it from quavering. She wasn’t sure if she was successful in that, either. This was…. She didn’t even know what this was. “Especially after whatever you did at the Nasty Burger.”

“I just phased the chocolate off of you. Or rather you off the chocolate. So it didn’t stain.” 

“Sure. You _just_ made me intangible. And then you _just_ made me invisible.”

Danny winced. “At least now you know why you need to keep this a secret?”

Star let out a strangled laugh. “As if anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them. ‘Guess what, guys? Danny has ghost powers!’ Just because we live in Amity Park….” She shook her head. “Is this because of your parents? Or because of Phantom?”

For some reason, Danny smiled. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

Fantastic. Something she’d said had amused him. Good thing one of them felt like laughing about this because she felt like crying. 

This was _insane_.

To think she’d doubted _his_ sanity when it was her own she’d needed to worry about. This was impossible. People didn’t just have ghost powers, not even in Amity Park. What else could he do? Float? Fly? Make an ectoblast without burning his flesh? Oh, wait, training with this Frostbite ghost. Could he have been sending ice rays right back at Icebreaker if she hadn’t been there? Is that what he’d done once he’d gotten rid of her while waiting for Phantom to show?

“I’m a halfa. It’s kinda hard to explain. Ectoplasm mixed with my DNA or something like that. Just think of it like half a ghost. That’s what Poindexter told me.”

“Who’s—?”

“Not important right now. Just…. Star. Don’t freak out.”

She opened her mouth to make some smart retort about him telling her not to freak out just making her freak out more, but then—

Then she saw the light. The rings. Watched them pass over him. _Change_ him. Found herself staring at Phantom. At _Phantom_. Amity Park’s infamous ghost boy. Paulina’s crush. The one who’d saved them all countless times.

“Star. _Breathe_. Trust me, it’ll help calm you down.”

Calm down? _Calm down_? He was a _ghost_ —he was _Phantom_ —and he expected her to _calm down_?

She didn’t want to ask how this had happened. Knowing might make it more real. And she could guess. Except _this shouldn’t be possible, how was this actually possible_?

The light returned, bringing Fenton back, and she wondered if she could chalk this up to hysteria. Maybe she could talk herself into it being a trick after all. If Fenton and Phantom worked together, maybe their timing really was just that good. And maybe they thought a trick would get her to stop digging into things she shouldn’t. Or maybe Phantom—

Wait.

Danny Fenton? Danny Phantom? He’d barely even changed his name. Or, come to think of it, his appearance. It was just so…. Who would expect Phantom to be human? Absolutely no one. Including—

Star covered her mouth; if her knees weren’t locked, she probably would’ve fallen. “Your parents—”

“Yeah. Don’t tell them.”

“Then….” She swallowed. She didn’t mind leaving the other topic; she could panic over what that meant later. This one wouldn’t necessarily be any easier to hear, but she wanted to know. “I heard Phantom….you…mention Valerie.”

Danny frowned. “When?”

“With Skulker. Here. I followed the fight.” Danny’s expression tightened, but he didn’t say anything. “You…you know how much she hates ghosts. Everyone does. But why—?”

“Ask her, not me. Just don’t…. Don’t tell her, either. Don’t tell anyone. Star, I could have the _government_ breathing down my neck if they realize what I am. And that’s almost more frightening than everything with my parents because my parents might stop. If they realize it’s not a trick. If they believe me. But the Guys in White? They won’t. Ever. Because they won’t care.”

She wanted him to scoff, to tell him to be serious, but she knew they were beyond joking. This was…. “This is crazy.”

“Welcome to my life.” He gave her a sheepish smile, one she was used to him offering Mr. Lancer. “But, uh, since you know…. Can you help me?”

“Help you?”

“Keep this a secret. From everyone else.” 

She closed her eyes. It did nothing to help calm her nerves. She couldn’t shut out the memories of what she’d seen or felt, couldn’t forget what she knew, even if she couldn’t understand it all. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Honestly? Because I thought you already knew it. And because after I blew my secret, you deserved more of an explanation, as much for your safety as mine.” 

She looked at him again. No smile. No joke.

That wasn’t exactly comforting.

“I’m not asking you to fight with me. Just…just do what you can. Cover for me if you see that I need it, don’t tell Paulina or Valerie or anyone else, that kind of thing. It’s better that no one else knows halfas exist.”

The thought made her chest tighten. “There are _more_ of you?”

Danny cringed. “Um, forget I said that. I can’t tell you that right now.”

“Ever?”

He shrugged. 

He didn’t want to tell her more than he thought he had to. That was okay. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know more, especially right now.

Once, she would’ve been delighted to help Phantom in any way she could. Now that she knew he wasn’t really a ghost? It was…less delightful. Knowing Fenton was the town hero was disquieting. It’s not that she didn’t think him capable of it—he obviously was—but she just…. Did _half ghost_ also mean _half human_? What _was_ he? And how could there others?

It made her skin crawl.

“Look, Star, just because you know my secret, it doesn’t change who I am. I’m still the same kid you were stuck in detention with last week. I deserved it. You didn’t. I think Youngblood was just trying to get me into trouble anyway.” He started rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you think…. Do you think you’ll be able to look at me the same way, even knowing what you do?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to be able to lie right now. “This is insane, Danny. How do I even…?”

“You can talk to Jazz if you think it’ll help. She knows, too.”

Star realized she was finger combing her hair, one of her nervous habits, and forced herself to stop. “Right. So Jazz knows. And Sam and Tucker. And all the ghosts. Isn’t that, like, counterintuitive to the whole secret identity thing, your enemies knowing exactly who you are anyway?”

“For most of the ghosts,” Danny said carefully, “I’ve been able to call truces outside of Christmas. When I really need it. When _we_ really need it.”

He didn’t see them as his worst enemy. That was reserved for his parents. Or maybe the government. Crud, why had she ever looked into this? Ignorance would’ve been easier than knowing Danny was _Phantom_!

She took a deep breath and tried to focus. “Let me tell the others that you know Phantom.” 

“Star—”

“Hear me out. Not that you work with him, not if you don’t want me to say that, but that you know him. That you and Jazz, I dunno, take his thermos whenever it’s full and release all the ghosts back into the Ghost Zone again. They’ll believe that.”

“I don’t want more attention, Star. Or to give my parents another reason to ground me. Or to try to force me to wear the Spectre Deflector.”

“It’ll keep you from being Dash’s punching bag if he thinks you can introduce him—properly—to the ghost boy. And Paulina will stop any and all bad gossip about all three of you in its tracks. They have social power, Danny, power I don’t have. But I can get you protection if I—”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d rather be a punching bag than tell them a half lie like that. Because even that much is risky. Star, after the Guys in White were in town, Tucker went through the school. They’d bugged our lockers, the classrooms, even the bathrooms. If they think I have more of a connection to Phantom than any other kid out there, I’m just putting myself in more danger.”

The Guys in White—what kind of name was that, anyway?—was the government organization he’d mentioned earlier; no one else would have that kind of power. Or the motive. Not that she was really convinced the government would care so much about high school kids, but maybe they knew more about the truth of Phantom than she had until now. Or maybe Danny was just thinking the worst, though she couldn’t really blame him for that when she could imagine how bad the worst was. “Really? Don’t you think—?”

“I’m not exaggerating. And I’m not overreacting. I’ve given up on a normal life, Star. With the way my grades are, I’ve pretty much given up on my dream of being an astronaut. I’m not normal. My high school experience definitely isn’t normal. Doing something like that to get a pass isn’t worth it. Tides turn fast. The beauty pageant taught me that.”

Star rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe you picked Manson. I mean, I _can_ , because it’s you and her, but—”

“She wound up in the Ghost Zone because of that,” Danny interrupted. “That whole pageant, me being the judge…. It was all a setup. You want to use your social influence to help me? Trust me when I tell you something’s bad, and spread the word. I don’t care if I wind up the butt of some joke if it saves lives.” A beat, then, “I can’t afford to care.”

Star raised an eyebrow. “And what does your sister think when she hears you talk like that?” She was glad the conversation had drifted. She was on familiar ground now. Talking about Danny’s social life, even his safety, seemed more normal than him talking about what being a halfa really meant. She really didn’t want to think about that right now. Focusing on consequences she could understand was a lot easier.

Danny huffed. “When I accidentally do, she gives me a lecture. And a hug. It’s annoying.”

Star didn’t need to have a sibling to know that it wasn’t annoying. Not really. If it was, it was at least annoying but appreciated.

He wanted to change the topic; she could see that from his body language. She sucked in a breath and obliged. “Okay. So. You’re…you’re actually Phantom. A halfa. Probably because of your parents, but you don’t want to share details, and I get that. Huge secret, at least from the humans, with potentially bad consequences if something gets out.” He opened his mouth, probably to correct her, but she held up a hand. “Let me finish, okay?”

“Okay,” he mumbled. He started tracing lines in the dirt with the toe of his shoe instead of facing her, but that was fine. This was almost easier to work out when he wasn’t staring her in the face.

“You don’t want to tell anyone anything, not even something small, like that you help Phantom. Even though that’s what you told me.”

“That was only because you kept asking questions,” he muttered. “I had to tell you something to get you off my back.”

“Right. I’ll help you come up with better lies later because obviously no one else is any better at it than you are.” Star took another deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts. “You could have tried lying again, you know. I might not have believed you, but I probably wouldn’t have pushed it. That was…. It was freaky. I would’ve told myself that you and Phantom were just trying to mess with me or something. I still tried.”

Danny looked up. “And how long do you think you would have believed that before realizing that you were just lying to yourself? How long before you decided the curiosity was driving you crazy and you started taking bigger and bigger risks to find out the truth? You’d be good with one of my mom’s Fenton Utility Weapons, but I’m pretty sure you don’t already have one. Which would be a problem if you accidentally poked the wrong bear. Some of these guys have multiple sets of teeth, and their bark definitely isn’t worse than their bite.”

He thought she’d run out after ghosts on her own. “You think I’d be stupid enough to do that?”

He snorted. “You followed me and Skulker, didn’t you? _After_ you almost got hit by some of his missiles?”

“I didn’t tell you that until after you told me.”

“Doesn’t make me wrong. It just proves my point. Not telling you now would be dangerous. If you hadn’t seen me use my powers, sure, I probably would’ve tried to come up with something again, but I can’t…. I can’t cover that up, Star. That’s why I’m trying to be more careful about it. Especially now that I can control it. I couldn’t off the start. It was rough. That’s why I kept dropping stuff in chem.” 

Star blinked. “That’s when this started? Way back then?” But he was right, of course. Before Phantom was called Phantom, even before he’d been dubbed Invis-o-Bill….

“That’s when _everything_ started. When my parents finished the portal. When all the ghosts started coming through. This is my fault. I’m just trying to fix my mess. Sam and Tucker got sucked into it. Then Jazz. Now you. And I really don’t want you caught up in this. So just…. Trust what I tell you. Keep your head down. Cover for me if Sam and Tucker can’t. Pretend you don’t know, and hopefully the ghosts will leave you alone.”

Star stared at him. “You think I’m going to be a target now? I thought you said telling me was safer!”

“It _is_.”

“Not if I have ghosts after me!”

“You won’t! Or you shouldn’t. Not more than normal. Just…trust me.”

It was the same thing he’d told her back in the beginning of all this. He hadn’t wanted to tell her anything then, hadn’t wanted to let her in on this. Even now that he had, he didn’t want to tell her everything. She wasn’t even sure if this was half of it. She’d been left with questions then, and she definitely still had questions now, but—

Star took a slow, steady breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Calm down. Think clearly. Figure things out.

“Please?”

She hadn’t really trusted that Fenton could help her when she’d been trapped with him, but he had. And she certainly trusted Phantom to save her in the past. So if it came down to it, knowing they were the same person, knowing what Danny was really capable of—

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll trust you. And I’ll keep your secret. But you’ve gotta do something for me, too.”

He looked worried now. “What?”

“I don’t want to go out and fight ghosts all the time, but if I’m caught in another attack, especially if I might be a target, I don’t want to be helpless like that again. I hate that. So get me a weapon and show me how to use it.” 

She wasn’t lying; she _did_ hate feeling helpless. It wasn’t just to get Valerie off her back, either, even though Star knew Valerie wouldn’t drop the subject until she at least agreed to think about learning something. Of course, Star was happy to let Valerie think her influence was the reason behind it all. It was a lot easier than explaining how she might find herself targeted by more ghosts than she had in the past. 

Besides, if learning some weapon— _not_ the lipstick thing; that really would be too dangerous for her—helped clear up whatever Danny wasn’t telling her about Valerie, then all the better. Not that Star would push if it didn’t. One earth-shattering revelation was enough for this week. Not that she thought it was that bad, whatever it was. The venom in Valerie’s voice whenever she talked about ghosts definitely wasn’t faked. There was no way Valerie was another one of these halfas Danny didn’t want to talk about.

Hopefully, she didn’t actually know any of the others.

Not that Danny made it easy to believe that when he purposefully didn’t tell her anything else.

It made her think she did know more of them.

She didn’t want to.

Danny smiled, his relief helping to soothe her nerves, just a little bit. “Deal,” he said, offering his hand. 

They shook on it.

She didn’t know what she was getting into, what she’d already gotten herself into. Not really. But at least…at least she’d be a little more prepared for whatever Amity Park decided to throw at her next.


End file.
